Kerala Police Chief, State Secretary Summoned By NCSC Over Goof-Ups In Probe In Walayar Dalit Sisters’ Deaths

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) on Tuesday (29 October) said it will summon the Kerala Chief Secretary and State Police chief over the manner in which the case of the 'death' of two minor sisters was handled.

This was announced by L Murugan, vice-chairman of the NCSC who came to visit the home of the two minor sisters who were found hanging in their house in 2017.

Since last week, the acquittal of the accused by a Palakkad court has triggered a huge public outcry with the Congress and the BJP taking it up in a big way and demanding a CBI probe. Social media too accused the Pinarayi Vijayan government of influencing the probe, even the girls' mother said that the CPI-M saved the accused.

Speaking to the media after visiting the home of the girls, Murugan said that it is very clear now that the public prosecutor did not coordinate with the mother of the victims.

"The police never did a proper probe and there was no coordination at all with the mother of the kids. Hence both the Chief Secretary and the DGP will be summoned," said Murugan.

The Congress-led UDF convener and Lok Sabha member Benny Behanan also visited the home of the kids and said that it's a shame that Kerala has a Home Minister like Pinarayi Vijayan.

"Everything, in this case, has been a goof up right since the incident took place. we have been raising this issue. A CBI probe has to take place," said Behanan.

Former State BJP president and also a former Governor, Kummanem Rajasekheran after visiting the dead girls' house, said that everyone who messed up this case should be taken to task.

State Police chief Loknath Behra told the media that he is yet to get the October 25 order acquitting the accused.

"We are waiting for it and I assure that after going through the order, strict action will be taken if there are any lapses. I see this as an emotional matter, as it involves two young kids and view this as a serious matter," said Behra.

Meanwhile, the mother of the girls said, "had this sort of enthusiasm been there after the incident took place, the accused would not have walked free. We want a CBI probe into this," she said.

The case surfaced in January 2017, when an 11-year-old girl's body was found by her nine-year-old sister in her house in a village in Palakkad district.

Two months later, the younger girl was also found dead in her home in similar circumstances.

Though the police arrested five persons, the accused were let off last week by a court for want of evidence as the prosecution failed to prove the case against them.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)